Look Great

Beauty Secrets From Mom

By Shelly Ballestero
Licensed Esthetician

CBN.com 
For thousands of years, beauty secrets have been passed down from one generation to the next. In fact, we still use some of these fabulous remedies - such as those milk baths that Cleopatra was known for - today. So I thought, why not talk to women around our globe and find some beauty secrets we all can benefit from?

But first, I’d like to share a secret from my mother, Betty. When I was younger, she drilled the use of sunscreen and moisturizer into my head, along with the “no frown” policy. My mother would say that if you frown like that, you end up looking like that when you get older. I would practice not frowning, and believe it or not, it worked – Look, Mom, no Botox!

OK, now here are more mother-daughter tips...

Grind up green lentils to a powder. Then add some ground rice and a little water, enough to make a paste. Leave on to dry and rinse off, gently exfoliating your skin.

- Angai, daughter of Swathi, from South Africa

“When we were kids, body brushing was a necessity before bathing.” The brushing improves circulation and exfoliates your skin.

- Kristen’s Scandinavian ritual from her mother, Kaaren

Use as little on the face as possible. Cleanse your face and use a good moisturizer.

- Laura, a CBN.com reader from the UK,
who claims her mum has beautiful skin

Take a cleaned-out tuna can. Put it on the stove. Pour some olive oil and a clove of garlic (low heat for a few minutes). Soak nails in the can, and you will end up with harder nails.

- Celia from Florida, owner of The Fountains Salon,
who learned this from her mother, Celia

Mix up red volcano clay from Costa Rica with some water and use it as a mask, along with Oil of Olay moisturizer or just plain olive oil.

- Lisa from Florida, whose mother, Zoila, looks great – even at 70. Lisa says her mother used to stock up on the Costa Rican clay while on holiday there.

A great way to exfoliate your face: baking soda mixed with enough water to make a paste. Gently apply in circular motion and rinse. Use Vaseline at night as a moisturizer.

- Christian recording artist Nicole C. Mullen’s secret
Take large doses of vitamin C on a daily basis. It repairs the cells in your body, including the skin cells.

- MaryEllen of Rhode Island, who got this tip from her parents, Pat and former Governor Ed

When you shower and don’t want to get your hair wet, wrap a bandana around your head and put a shower cap on. The heat of the shower will activate the natural oils in your hair and no frizz!

Shelly Ballestero is a licensed esthetician, make-up artist, beauty editor of Lifestyle Magazine, and author.
Shelly has studied under Emmy Award winner Eve Pearl, head make-up artist for ABC's The View. In addition, Shelly is one of the make-up experts for Jane Iredale cosmetics and participates in the International Esthetics, Cosmetics & Spa conference. Shelly and her husband, Angelo, a worship pastor, live in Windermere, Florida, with their two children.
(Photo of Shelly courtesy of Katie Meehan, www.phfocus.com.)